Actress Jessica Henwick is best known for playing the role of Colleen Wing in the Marvel television series Iron Fist. Henwick eventually went on to feature in a prominent supporting role in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which launched the sequels era of the franchise.
However, Henwick wasn’t asked to reprise her role for the sequel, The Last Jedi, directed by Rian Johnson. Nonetheless, the duo eventually worked together on Glass Onion, with Henwick finally asking the director why she was snubbed from his Star Wars movie. Here is what Henwick said about the misunderstanding that nerfed her from Star Wars.
Jessica Henwick Reveals Why Her Star Wars Character Was Not Included in Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi
Jessica Henwick played the role of Jessika “Testor” Pava in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams. However, Henwick wasn’t asked to reprise the role for 2017’s The Last Jedi, directed by Rian Johnson despite her character being alive and active on the comics side of things.
During an interview with Syfy.com, Henwick spoke about being snubbed by Johnson and confronting the director regarding the same. She said:
He thought I died in [Episode VII]. I was like, no dude, I survived, Henwick said. “I have a whole series of comic books written about Jess Pava.
Henwick made the above statement explaining the misunderstanding that prevented her from appearing in future installments of the sequel trilogy.
The Iron Fist actress revealed that she was initially expected to reprise her role for The Last Jedi. While the actress admitted that her schedule was up in the air at the time, she ultimately chalked down her absence from the rest of the sequel trilogy to Johnson believing her character had died in The Force Awakens.
Rian Johnson Snubbed Jessica Henwick Long Before the Star Wars Misunderstanding
Despite being snubbed by Johnson from the Star Wars franchise, the actress admitted she had a bigger bone to pick with the director. Henwick revealed that she was a big fan of Johnson’s debut film as a director, 2005’s Brick.
Henwick revealed that she had written a fan letter to Johnson after watching the movie. However, she did not hear back from him for years. She said:
I wrote him a fan letter because he had his email on Google at the time. It was out there in the public, and he never responded to my fan letter.
As a result, it is evident from Henwick’s words that she was snubbed by Johnson several years before she made her Star Wars debut.
Eventually, Henwick did get a chance to work with Johnson, as the two collaborated on the 2022 mystery-drama film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Henwick revealed that she learned about her casting as Peg in the movie via a letter Johnson had written to her in response to her fan letter from years ago.
The Star Wars movies are streaming on Disney+.
